“I guess I should get breakfast going,”shesaid.
“You don’t have to do that. Sarah, our cook, should be coming intoworksoon.”
“I didn’t know you hadacook.”
“She basically runs our bed and breakfast during the Christmas rush. I don’t know what we’d dowithouther.”
The shrill ring of a telephone interrupted their conversation. Mack reached for thephone.
“Hello?”
Rachel wanted to give him some privacy so she walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She’d just closed the lid when Mack joined her. A shocked expression washed acrosshisface.
As she wiped her hands on a dish towel she asked, “What’swrong?”
“That was Sarah. Her mom’s in the hospital. She’s extremely ill and Sarah needs to fly back to Chicagoimmediately.”
“Oh that’s horrible. I hopeshe’sokay.”
“I hope so too. She’s been with us the last two years. She took over the bed and breakfast when ourmomdied.”
“I’m sorry about your mom,”shesaid.
“Thanks.”
“I can still help with breakfast. It sounds like you’llneedit.”
He frowned. “But you’re ourguest.”
“I’m happy to help. It will keep me from going nuts wondering whereBradywent.”
Less than an hour later, she picked up the dinner bell and rang it. Three of the other brothers, Hank, Logan, and Drew, stumbled into thediningroom.
Hank said, “Mmmm,bacon.”
She chuckled. “Enough foranarmy.”
Logan laughed. “With five other brothers, every day is like feedinganarmy.”
“You all need wives,” shejoked.
Mack laughed heartily. “I think I do just fine without a nagging woman after me allthetime.”
She put a hand on her hip and waved a spatula at him. “Watch your mouth, sonny, or no baconforyou.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a twinkle inhiseyes.
She smiled as Jimmy and her mom took their places at thetable.
“Pancakes!” Jimmyshrieked.
“I tried to make monkeyfacesbut…”
June slid a pancake onto Jimmy’s plate. “We can draw a face withsyrup.”
“Goodidea.”
The rumble of a truck sounded in the driveway. Rachel leaned over the sink to peer out of the kitchen window. Brady jumped out of the truck and strode purposefully into the house. When he walked into the kitchen, all conversations came to a halt. The look on his face was a cross between a deer in headlights and someone who’d just seen aghost.
